Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

What brand??

 

Welp, I got a free knockoff smaller version of a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker over the weekend. May plan on trying it out this weekend on some pork butt.

Side note: I also got a free propane fryer base and plan on getting a Wok to throw on top of it for fajitas and tacos and the such. Almost like a homemade Twok or Skottle... Got to find a good wok for it and cannot wait to try it out.

 

How did your ribs turn out?

 

Some of the best ribs I ever had. The kids ate seconds, and ask for thirds. The Mac and cheese was pretty good too.

I was really impressed with GMG. Only used a used a few cups of pellets, although it was 110° OTA. I used the GMG recipe and put them at 180° for 4 hours, then bumped up to 225° for 30 mins to cook the cheese sauce, then stepped it up to 350° for another 30 mins to finish the M&Chz.

 

I'm looking at either supplementing the controller on my smoker or possibly flat out replacing it. Most likely I will supplement it and grab information from the probes and various other connectors on it. I had done some looking and found schematics on the older controller just need to get the time to see if the newer version on my Traeger is the same. I also want to build a web page that will allow me to remotely view the various information and make tweeks to it, in essence I will fool it into thinking I have adjusted a knob or used one of the buttons if I just supplement.

Full on replacement will take some more engineering and hacking on my part as I will need to figure out exactly what they are doing for the pellet feeder and such. I may work it in a couple phases. I want more finite control over all the aspects of the grill as well as the WiFi full on interface.

 

Whats the science behind why smoked foods are so f**king good? Could eat the stuff all day long. Just wonder if there is some kind of chemical given off from the food that triggers some kind of reaction.

 

I'm running a Traeger Texas Pro.

 

The point back in the day was to take the cheapest piece of meat and turn it into something worth eating. Low and slow cooks break down the tough parts and keeps the meat moist in the process. Not too much science really.

 

Or a whole lot depending on how you look at it

 

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_the_smoke_ring.html

 

Good read

 

originally it was for cannibalism, according to Alton Brown and his resident food anthropologist. Apparently we as humans are very chewy

 

This was certainly NOT chewy. !8 pound prime brisket cooked Saturday for a birthday party. Even the tip of the flat end melted in your mouth. Smoked with mesquite and pecan wood for 16 hours. My best effort to date!

 

When you slow and low it gives all the bad fats and connective tissues time to break down. That's why shoulders and brisket hit a stall around 160ish. That's the time the majic happens. When those tissues and fats break down it becomes a money muscle at that point

 

Challange: next time separate the flat from the point and learn the Devils candy. AKA burnt ends. You will thank me

 

Shits about to get real.

 

Damn son!

 

Got her done on the smokey Joe of all things. Blacken Chilien seabass with garlic and lemon zest butter prawns and grilled pineapple. Forgot how much work the smokey joe does. Injoy the smoke vision.

 

Nice! Smoked in the shell shrimp is one of my favs. 30 or 45 minutes seems to be plenty of time to get a good smoky taste. We pre-soak them in Frank's red hot sometimes, too, especially for parties.

 

Man thats some good lookin seafood. Only fish I have ever smoked is Salmon and it wasn't for me (not a fan of Salmon).